This invention relates generally to drumming apparatus, and more particularly to an apparatus associated with a drum, such as a tom-tom, for sound attenuating a drum head with desired acoustic effects.
There is need for improved, simple, effective means to achieve desired drum sound effects, such as sound attenuation, when the drum head is struck with a beater, such as a drum stick. This invention improves over the invention of my U.S. Pat. No. 5,920,021.
It is a major object of the invention to provide improved apparatus meeting the above needs. Basically, the improved apparatus or device of the invention comprises:
a) a support ring,
b) a synthetic membrane carried by the ring, and having a mid region and an outer annular region extending about the mid region,
c) a thin coating confined on the membrane over the mid region, and acting to attenuate vibration of the head, when struck.
Another object includes the provision of abrasive particles in said coating, the coating confined radially inwardly of the outer annular region, which is free of coating material.
A further object includes provision of a drum casing or shell supporting the membrane, spaced outwardly of the annularly extending coating. The shell is typically annular and has an edge annularly engaging the membrane at one side thereof, the coating located at the opposite side of the membrane, and being everywhere spaced form that edge so as not to abrade.
Yet another object includes provision of flange structure transmitting clamping loading to the opposite side of the membrane, at the periphery thereof, to tension the membrane.
It is found that the provision of such a thin coating on the drum head, attached to a drum, serves to directly attenuate or muffle the sharp, metallic sound produced by the drum when the head is struck by a drum stick, as for example on the coating itself.
These and other objects and advantages of the invention, as well as the details of an illustrative embodiment, will be more fully understood from the following specification and drawings, in which: